Digging Day

I’m glad I was feeling up for an adventure today. Luke was out of town with work when the men got started digging the driveway and foundation, so I thought I’d take the kids up to watch and get some camera footage. After hastily packed ham and cheese sandwiches, we were off to the land, to see what we could see (even made up a song about it, to the tune of “The bear went over the mountain”).

On the way I watched for a recycling dropoff container I had found a few weeks ago- I figured I would bring any items along with us anytime we would be going by. We get to the spot and- no container. Hopefully it was just being dumped, but if it is gone for good, I’m really bummed because I have to start all over again looking for dropoff sites that will be convenient for us (on the way somewhere).

We got to the land, with no less than three calls from Luke on the trip up (“Where are you now?”). He was on his way down from Toledo, and would get there a little after I left. It worked out really good for him; he didn’t end up missing much of the digging. When we stopped the van, I and most of the children needed a bathroom break. I have my excuse (see sidebar), but the kids were celebrating something (possibly, but not limited to the dig) the whole drive up, exclaiming “Cheers!” and tapping their water bottles and taking a sip. Over and over again. So some bladders were needing emptied.

I took the children out into the woods a bit and we did our business. A Major has really developed this girly squeamishness for spiders, and of course she saw one just as she needed to squat. Finally everyone did get relieved, and we went back to the van. I didn’t plan on letting anyone out of the vehicle; I figured we’d sit and watch a bit, then head on to Wal-Mart. The kids didn’t seem to mind, due in part to Daddy constantly telling them how much poison ivy is around out there.

The trackhoe started up, and I scrambled to get the videocamera set in a place it could record without me holding it- balancing precariously on top of the recycling I didn’t get to drop off. The boys realize they can see better through the front (open) window, so they park in the middle of the two seats. I’m sitting in the driver’s seat, trying to down this salad and speak quietly to them about how they can’t lean there, they’ll knock over the camera, etc., hoping it isn’t picking up my voice. It didn’t, I noticed later as I watched. The digger was pretty loud and overpowering soundwise. What did come through was A Major at one point going on and on about another spider in the van and demanding the doors be shut to keep out any more bugs. Ah, the good life.

Luke called a few more times (“How many scoops?”), and one time the operator comes over to talk to me, so I handed the phone to him. It is then I discover that all the ‘digging’ I have been filming was really just him skimming off the topsoil. I did wonder when the bucket was actually going to go in the ground…

We left and headed to Wal-Mart. I mention this part because the kids were all very good while I was in the store. I don’t know the last time I have taken them all somewhere by myself, especially to a supercenter, and I just have to sing their praises a bit. The boys are getting too old to go in the ladies’ room with me, so I had the older four sit on a bench across from the restroom while I took the babies in a cart with me. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I thought it was best. I come out and they are all sitting prettily on the bench, like little cherubs. A Major said a lady came by and told them they were being really good. I was so pleased I let them run the main aisle back to the baby/toddler department.

On the way back to the land, I went through the town of Lexington, looking for recycling containers. We drove by the school Luke first taught at (“Oh. Now will you please turn the music back on?”), and I got to thinking about how much I walked over every inch of that little town. We had one car, and I often was without it during the day, so I would walk to the library, or the bike trail, or just around. I’m not that active anymore, many reasons why, or who. But I hope to get in better habits in our new home.

Luke will post about all the nitty gritty of the dig, the dirt, if you will. But the highlight of my day was that it was time spent out and about with the kids that went well.

One Reply to “Digging Day”

My favorite happiest part about this whole thing was the children being so wonderful on the trip and to the store! What a blessing, and what a wonderful trainer you MUST be! I was just experiencing and out of town shopping trip that felt like what I imagine a near heart attack. It couldn’t have been that bad though. 🙂